Kimanis–Keningau Highway is a state highway in Sabah, Malaysia, connecting the town of Kimanis to Keningau. It also acts as an alternative for Federal Route 500 from Kota Kinabalu to Tenom which is nowadays somewhat under-use. The highway from Ulu Kimanis began as a main logging road before being upgraded to a full two-lane highway. The highway was opened to traffic in 2006.
Even though the highway is relatively short and is in very good condition, it is notorious for its very steep gradients along the way, ranging from 10% to about 25%, making the Kimanis–Keningau Highway as the steepest highway in Malaysia. As a result, climbing road lanes are provided at steep sections.
A gravity hill induced by optical illusion is located from Keningau. It is reported that at the gravity hill, there is a slope which appears as a downhill slope, but is actually an uphill slope.
Route background Kimanis–Keningau Highway starts from the Kimanis roundabout near Petronas on Federal Route 1 alongside Shell, and terminus at the city of Keningau. The highway crosses the high-altitude mountainous Crocker Range within the Crocker Range National Park boundary, up until above sea level, along a yellow line road markings for a fog zone, and gravity hill.
While the road takes about one hour and five minutes to one hour ten minutes using ordinary passenger vehicle, heavy-duty commercial lorry is two hour to three hours due to the highways extreme steep gradient.
Rest and restaurant stop There are at least three popular stops along the highway:
Jabatan Perhutanan Station Dimie Mountain resort Oyong Restaurant
These stops are popular for motorists especially lorries, buses and tourists. The punishing steep gradient made it necessary for the lorries to make frequent stops and replenish their water-cooling tanks. From the high vantage point of Dimie Resort, summit at , there is a panoramic view of the Brunei Bay and the Klias Bay to the west and glimpse of the Keningau Plain. The Liawan river and the Pampang river, which flow into the Keningau Plain, arise from the divide provided by the Crocker Range.
Junction lists
See also List of gravity hills
Certain incidents The Kimanis–Keningau Highway was once closed in 2025, due to a landslides. Most motorists are also advised to use the Federal Route 500 until March 24 of 2025.
Notes Many local people especially Keningau compare that Kimanis–Keningau Highway is like Mount Haruna or manga series Initial D under the fictional name Akina (秋名) because of their structure road is almost same with Mount Haruna.
References